Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bridgetown Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bridgetown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,675 in Bridgetown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,963 in Bridgetown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,251 in Bridgetown.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 23% less than in Bridgetown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Bridgetown is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$19.86 BBD 39.72

-39.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$92.7 BBD 185

-53.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$9.45 BBD 18.90

12.06%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$4.98 BBD 9.96

-27.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.51 BBD 3.03

-2.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.27 BBD 2.55

-25.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.45 BBD 4.89

26.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$6.07 BBD 12.14

-26.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$3.99 BBD 7.99

-64.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.73 BBD 5.45

-31.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$3.40 BBD 6.80

-52.06%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$5.57 BBD 11.14

-52.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.74 BBD 19.49

-15.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$8.81 BBD 17.63

-5.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.03 BBD 20.07

10.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$3.98 BBD 7.96

-33.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.68 BBD 5.36

-44.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.68 BBD 9.36

-57.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$3.00 BBD 6.00

-30.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$2.89 BBD 5.78

-38.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.38 BBD 4.76

-8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$2.77 BBD 5.55

-61.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$2.15 BBD 4.31

-51.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$8.06 BBD 16.12

-50.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$13.99 BBD 27.99

-27.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.69 BBD 3.38

2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.91 BBD 5.82

-14.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.72 BBD 3.45

-69.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$26.30 BBD 52.6

2.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$17.59 BBD 35.19

-82.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.99 BBD 1.97

142.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$40.52 BBD 81.1

-92.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.13 BBD 4.26

-40.38%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$34.8K BBD 69.7K

-11.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$37.2K BBD 74.4K

-37.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.0 MX$1,435

$87.4 BBD 175

-6.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.45 MX$393

$57.2 BBD 114

-60.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$48.99 BBD 98.0

-39.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$69.7 BBD 139

-25.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$10.22 BBD 20.43

-51.37%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$198 MX$3,462

$239 BBD 478

-17.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,589 BBD 13.2K

-19.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$60.2 BBD 120

-39.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$63.8 BBD 128

-37.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$187 BBD 373

-57.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$126 BBD 251

-29.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$583 BBD 1,166

65.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$472 BBD 945

-1.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,785 BBD 3,569

-10.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$1,334 BBD 2,669

-9.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$3,468 BBD 6,936

13.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$3,551 BBD 7,103

81.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,556 BBD 3,112

-53.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.85

95.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bridgetown: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $583 in Bridgetown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 116% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $93.0 in Bridgetown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $369 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Bridgetown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Bridgetown. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bridgetown earns 116% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $583 in Bridgetown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $239 in Bridgetown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,675 in Bridgetown, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bridgetown. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,287 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Bridgetown are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.